Posts Tagged ‘play area’

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Playground takes off

Posted on 22nd June 2012 by

mossvale launch

Plenty of smiling faces in Manchester as Beverley Slater, secretary of Moss Vale Tenants’ and Residents’ Association, cuts the ribbon to launch a new play area for the community.

More than 180 residents attended the opening event at the playground in Silver Street, Irlam.

The association, which secured a £49,999 Community Spaces grant to fund the playground, has just been awarded a further grant to ensure the sustainability of the project.

The new money will pay for activities including a teddy bears’ picnic, Hallowe’en events, a pirate party, planting sessions and  Christingle service, as well as equipment for maintenance.

Beverley says: “We are really excited about the extra work that can be done. We have had a fantastic response from local parents and children alike at how much the new play area is making a huge difference.”

The design of the play park has been based on drawings by the Moss Vale Youth Group of their ideal play area. Children from local schools worked with Irlam and Cadishead Arts Officer Fay Flatt to paint a colourful mural on the concrete fencing which runs the entire length of the play area.

The local community has shown its support for the project through the Tenants’ and Residents’ Association, who have developed a Facebook page to keep local people up to date on developments.

The page has a photographic record of the site being turned from unused grass and overgrown shrubs into an exciting playground. Comments on the page from customers include “It’s great watching this coming together from my living room window” and “Fantastic! Didn’t think it would take so little time to build”.

Posted on 22nd June 2012 by
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Posted in North West, Play, Uncategorized | No Comments »

Playground takes flight

Posted on 18th June 2012 by

howden le wear

The aptly named Jubilee Park in Howden-le-Wear, Co Durham, was the scene of a Jubilee Party and Community Spaces launch event rolled into one. For years the local community partnership has worked to get play equipment sited in the park.

Community Spaces funding was matched with money from Playbuilder to provide equipment including zip wires, a toddlers’ multi-use tower and a woodland adventure trail. 

The site also now sports a new mosaic designed by the local school and created by villagers, at the entrance to the park.

During the launch, 60 tagged red, white and blue balloons were released, with a prize awaiting the person whose balloon has travelled furthest from the site.

Posted on 18th June 2012 by
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Posted in Events, North East, Parks, Play | No Comments »

Playtime at Swanton Close

Posted on 18th June 2012 by

swanton

The Friends of Swanton Close Park in Newcastle are celebrating after the launch of their improved play area, created thanks to a lot of hard work by the group and a grant from Community Spaces.

Coun Sharon Pattison cut the ribbon to start the celebrations and let the eager children on to the playground.

There was face painting, a barbecue, red, white and blue themed cakes galore and a wonderful spread of food to celebrate, as well as plans and displays of how it all came about.

The old play area was derelict and underused. The Friends of Swanton Park was set up by local residents to give the children more and better play options, and they have worked incredibly hard over several years to get to this point.

 The area is very small but manages to fit in swings, a multi use castle with climbing wall, and a smaller one for the very young. There is inclusive access and a sensory sculpture too.

The site has also been supported by Newcastle City Council, which has provided new fencing and access to a wider woodland and open area behind the play area. This now means that the area is effectively much larger and it will provide a ‘stepping stone’ to new and more adventurous play in the future.

Posted on 18th June 2012 by
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Posted in Events, North East, Parks, Play | 1 Comment »

Winning over the doubters in Paignton

Posted on 23rd April 2012 by

 

The Paignton Geoplay Park, a Community Spaces Flagship project, was the subject of heated local debate from the outset.

The team behind the project, the Paignton Community Partnership, faced many vocal objectors who warned that the playpark was in the wrong place, was the wrong size or was just plain wrong!

However, they stuck to their guns and now appear to have won over many of the people who were initially against the project.
 
Jim Parker, editor of the local paper the Torbay Herald Express, has summed up the history of the playpark and its impact in his latest column.
 
It makes welcome reading for Louise, Tracey and the others involved in the Paignton project, as well as offering inspiration to other groups whose ideas for Community Spaces are running into local “difficulties.”
 
There are some fabulous pictures of the playpark on our Flickr page. Take a look and of course, if you find yourself in the English Riviera, get along to Paignton and see the playpark for yourself.

Posted on 23rd April 2012 by
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On the BMX trail at Heeley

Posted on 26th January 2012 by

­heeley bmxThe official opening of the Heeley Millennium Park BMX pump track and mountain bike trail in Sheffield was a great success, with novice and expert cyclists keen to try out the new facility.

The event celebrated the completion of the 1st phase of work on the Community Spaces Flagship project by Heeley Development Trust.

The changes to the park have received overwhelmingly positive responses. Local people had the opportunity to mark the park with their own planted trees and instructors from Recycle Bikes helped cyclists to exploit their skills and gain knowledge on the new trail.

As part as of the revamp, new play facilities have been constructed and extensive tree and shrub planting has been implemented with help from local schools, volunteers, Sheffield City Council’s Tree Officer and Tinsley Tree Project.

Andy Jackson, Heeley Development Trust Manager, said at the launch: “‘Parks are vital to the way that cities work, they are the lungs of our cities, offering moments of calm, a chance to see wildlife on your doorstep. They define the character and landscape of our neighbourhoods, contributing to health, wellbeing and the economy.

“Given how important they are, it amazes me how difficult it is to fund their maintenance and how quickly their budgets are reduced. This funding from Community Spaces has transformed our park, rekindling local people’s interest and getting people excited and involved again.”

The Heeley Millennium Park is the largest community owned and managed park in Sheffield and has undergone major transformation over the last few months.

The next phase of work on the park will include the installation of new climbing boulders, a multi use games area, an art trail and further shrub and herbaceous planting.  Once the full programme of work is completed, the park will be one of a kind, reflecting the countryside on the outskirts of Sheffield, giving users a ‘peek into the Peaks.’

For more information and pictures from the event, visit the Heeley Development Trust website or see our Flickr page.

Posted on 26th January 2012 by
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Posted in Parks, Play, Yorkshire & The Humber | 1 Comment »

Ben comes home to open play area

Posted on 17th January 2012 by

ben miller with childrenComedian, actor and director Ben Miller returned to the Nantwich of his schooldays to open a state-of-the-art children’s playground on the outskirts of the town.

Ben, half of the Armstrong and Miller comedy duo, accepted an invitation from the Stapeley Parish Action Group to open phase 2 of the development, which was funded by Community Spaces.

The £100,000-plus Stapeley Children’s Play Area is on a landscaped corner site next the Pear Tree Primary School in Stapeley on the outskirts of Nantwich.

ben miller on slide“We carried out a survey in the parish asking local people what they felt was most needed and the results showed that a recreational facility for the children was a top priority,” said Val Ingram, Chair of Stapeley Parish Action Group.

“It has taken some three years of very hard work by all concerned to bring it to fruition and we are delighted that Ben Miller agreed to come back to Nantwich and officially open this wonderful new facility for children of all ages throughout the area.”

The architect-designed playground  incorporates see-saws and swings, an overhead zip wire and numerous novelty features as well as a bicycle park and bench seating alongside the pathways.

Phase one was opened in July 2011, funded by the Government’s Playbuilder scheme and Landfill Communities Funds of Waste Recycling Group Ltd, administered by WREN. The second and final phase, which has cost nearly £50,000, has been funded by Community Spaces, managed by Groundwork Cheshire and installed by County Landscape Development. Match funding was also provided by Stapeley & District Parish Council.

Despite a very cold, windy winter’s afternoon a large number of local families turned out to see the ribbon-cutting opening ceremony. Children were given commemorative wrist bands and modelled balloons and enjoyed designing their own tiles in the craft area. Pear Tree Primary School PTA members helped to run the refreshments stalls.

More pictures on the group’s Flickr feed

Posted on 17th January 2012 by
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Toronto still thriving one year on

Posted on 9th January 2012 by

toronto family fun dayResidents of Toronto in Co Durham celebrated the first anniversary of the transformation of their local recreation ground with a Family Fun Day

The Community Association secured a Community Spaces Sustainability Grant following on from their original funding for the development of the rec, which has helped to fund further activities and events.

The family fun day followed an activities programme that saw youngsters from the community engaged in football, basketball, tennis and dance mats.

The Family Fun Day was a huge success, with over 150 people attending throughout the day. With activities to choose from such as basketball and football, a bouncy castle, soft play, and the popular 4 in 1 bungee trampoline, the day went down as treat (as did the home baked refreshments).

The project, which was developed by Toronto Community Association and Groundwork North East, included the replacement of the existing play area with a new improved facility along with the installation of a multi use games area and access improvements.

The scheme, which cost over £130,000, was part funded through Community Spaces. Other money came from Durham County Council Urban Rural Renaissance Initiative, Section 106 funds and Bishop Auckland Town Council.

Posted on 9th January 2012 by
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Glastonbury guest of honour

Posted on 9th December 2011 by

Michael EavisGlastonbury Festival founder Michael Eavis was the guest of honour as villagers at Stratton-on-the-Fosse in Somerset celebrated the launch of Phase 2 of their community garden.

He cut the ribbon to mark the opening of a new boules/petanque piste, a basket swing, wooden shelter, grassed mound with tunnel and slide and a seating and picnic area, all joined up with a metre-wide path.

The latest phase of the project was made possible through a £49,999 Community Spaces grant.

For more on what’s happening at Stratton-on-the-Fosse see the village website

Posted on 9th December 2011 by
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Great news for Gretton

Posted on 6th December 2011 by

gretton tug o warThe village of Gretton in Northamptonshire is celebrating a £100,000 Lottery win with a new games area.

The multi-use games area was officially opened by international athlete and 2011 Corby Sports Personality of the Year Karen Harewood.

The games area has been funded principally through a £99,984 grant from Community Spaces following a successful application by the Friends of Gretton Recreation Ground.

The project was one of a number of ideas suggested as part of a Parish Plan produced by the Parish Council in 2004 and which highlighted that villagers would like to see a MUGA in the village along with better play and sports facilities.

The Friends of Gretton Recreation Ground was subsequently formed, including members of many organisations in the village, to bring these ideas to fruition. The group has already built a new Jurassic Adventure Playground and BMX track and is working on other projects, including a young children’s play area and improvements to the Changing Pavilion.

The group invited athlete Karen Harewood, the 2011 Corby Sports Personality of the Year to open the MUGA. Karen holds the English National 800m title and has represented Great Britain in the World and European athletics championships.

Tim Fox, chair of the Friends Group, said: “I hope that both young and old will enjoy this new facility.”

The afternoon included netball, basketball, football and tennis competitions, traditional games, complimentary hot food and refreshments and all serenaded by Gretton Silver Band.

The MUGA has a fencing surround with carpet surface and floodlights and Tim added: “It is a superb facility for many activities and we want to encourage as many people as possible to use it. The football and cricket clubs will be holding coaching sessions for junior players and I have been contacted by a group of ladies who would like to rekindle their netball skills.

“There is interest in forming a junior tennis group and both the Primary School and Chirpy Chicks pre-school will use the area regularly. The facility is open for all and there will be times which groups can pre-book.”

Posted on 6th December 2011 by
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Stapeley Playground nears completion

Posted on 13th October 2011 by

stapeley work in progress 131011Improvements to a brand new children’s play area are progressing well at Stapeley, near Nantwich in Cheshire.

Tracey Knight of Stapeley Parish Action Group (SPAG) says: “After three years of planning we are delighted to see our project nearing completion. Phase 2 has been funded by our Community Spaces grant of almost £50,000 and is currently being project managed by Groundwork Cheshire and constructed by County Landscape Development.”

The Stapeley Parish Plan, published in 2008, highlighted a lack of children’s play facilities in the community, so Stapeley Recreation Group, a sub-group of Stapeley Parish Action Group was given the task of setting up a new play area.

Tracey adds: “We were so delighted to receive this huge amount of money because it’s enabled us to enhance the play site further with a multiplay unit for the older children, a springy see saw for the young ones, extra seating, cycle racks, a tarmac pathway and landscaping with trees and shrubs.

“We are now busy organising our launch event, which will take place in November. The local children are so excited and can’t wait to try out the new equipment. They’ve watched it being built bit by bit every day on their way to school for the past couple of weeks. It’s been so rewarding to see the site being used by so many and I echo the comment repeated by so many parents – it’s been long overdue!”

Phase One of the site was opened in July by local MP Edward Timpson. It includes a zip wire, supernova, pendulum tyre swing, toddler swings, a spinning dish and a multi play unit for younger children. Since the opening the play area has been extremely busy with local children of all ages, especially throughout the summer holiday.

There are more photos on our Flickr page.

Good luck with the launch.

Posted on 13th October 2011 by
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